The world’s population has continuously increased since the great plagues of the 1300’s, exceeding seven billion by March 2012, and currently estimated to be over 7.158 billion. North America’s population (United States and Canada) of 352 million is about five percent of the world’s population. The United States, with 317 million people, is the world’s third most populous country behind China and India. Due to this population explosion, sustainability of our planet’s population is a grave and growing concern.
Growing up fishing in the sixties and seventies I remember well the term, “we caught a cooler full.” The Sunshine State was once a land of plenty, a place where both recreational and commercial anglers exploited what was considered an endless bounty of fish. Fishery laws and regulations were nearly nonexistent. Unlicensed recreational anglers were allowed a bag limit of fifty redfish and fifty spotted seatrout a day, and there were many game fish that had no limits on them (there are still many fish in Florida without proper size and bag limits). I’ve used this example before to make a glaring point, but up until recently we looked at our oceans as an unlimited resource. This has changed.
Because we see the world in a different light today, more often we are asking ourselves, “Whose fish are these?” This was the very question at the core of a series of net ban amendments that were implemented in Texas, California and Florida in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Recreational anglers were able to limit the gear (monofilament gill nets) used by commercial anglers to take their fish quotas, very often using the excuse, “The fish caught by recreational anglers are much more valuable economically than the fish taken by the commercial side.” (This means more money is pumped into the economy by recreational anglers than commercial anglers per pound of fish landed.)
Today both recreational and commercial anglers face the same challenges. We now have a finite resource more often impacted by population increase and decreases in habitat health and productivity driven by a steady decline in water quality. We have a resource more often managed by a stringent set of rules, but instead of banding together to build a more cohesive alliance in these difficult times, commercial and recreational anglers often remain pitted against each other. We’re fighting the same old battles, using the same old battle cry, “My fish are more valuable than your fish.”
The AFC suggests there is a more productive way to move forward under the mantle of accountability. Commercial and recreational anglers should focus on doing what is right for the fish and put the economics aside for now.
Responsible anglers on both sides should advocate the strong steps needed to help rebuild our fisheries. This will happen more quickly when we all do our best to adhere to limits and stronger enforcement. We also need to support better research, monitoring and education. To continue forward with wiser fisheries management, we must better understand the inherent value of protecting spawning sites and spawning fish, and the water quality and critical habitat issues associated with their success. Additionally, by working together to decrease discard (release) mortality rates, both recreational and commercial anglers will benefit with longer seasons and larger catch quotas.
All of this is possible if we work together to increase our awareness and understanding of ecosystems, their habitats and residents.